I have something of an obsession with owls. I spend a lot of time searching for them, I invested a lot of money on special lenses to photograph them, and I cover a lot of miles getting to where they might be found. Yet most of the time, I come up empty handed.
They are like ghosts.
I rented a cabin in Sequoia National Forest, and for the last three nights, as dusk was creeping in, I heard a Great Horned Owl calling from the woods. I went out each night and prowled through the trees, looking for his distinctive shape against the darkening sky. But each time he eluded me.
Until last night.
I came upon a little clearing, and there he was, a magnificent Great Horned Owl. The sun was minutes away from sinking behind the mountain and dropping a curtain of black velvet over the entire valley. But my friend had chosen a branch that was getting the absolute last pool of sunlight to be found, and he sat there just long enough for me to photograph him before he vanished like a ghost into the night.
They really are like ghosts. They can be so quiet and sit so still you might never know they’re up there watching every move you make. You found a fantastic subject and captured it beautifully! The time, effort, and money was worth it. 🙂